Kitchen cabinets

ABSTRACT

The back frame of a knock-down kitchen cabinet is provided with a horizontal abutment surface beneath which an edge of the top or working surface is inserted when positioned on the upper edges of the side panels and front frame. In a preferred form the abutment surface is the upper surface of a groove dimensioned to receive an edge of the top surface, the groove extending longitudinally of an upper, horizontal cross member of the back frame.

llnited States Patent 1191 11] 3,784,271 Schreiber Jan. 8, 1974 15 KITCHEN CABINETS 3,379,483 4/1968 01mm 312/257 R 3,347,609 lO/l967 Mann 312/257 R [76] g f g i 'gt i fi z gi z 1,795,138 3/1931 Ohnstrand et al. 312/257 R r r ur 1m1 e Harlow, England Primary ExaminerCasm1r A. Nunberg [22] led: 1972 Att0rney-Norman F. Oblon et al. [2]] Appl. No.: 284,117

I [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data I June 22 1972 Great Britain 29 376/72 The back frame of a knock-down kitchen cabmet 1s provided with a horizontal abutment surface beneath [52] U S Cl 312/257 R 312/245 312/263 which an edge of the top or working surface ,is in- [51 1 A 5/08 serted when positioned on the upper edges of the side [58] Fieid 257 SR panels and front frame. In a preferred form the abut- 312/263 211/126 ment surface is the upper surface of a groove dimensioned to receive an edge of the top surface, the [56] References Cited groove extending longitudinally of an upper, horizontal cross member of the back frame. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,347,610 10/1967 Pilliod 312/263 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 lKITClI-IENCABINETS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to kitchen cabinets of knock-down construction of the type comprising at least one working surface panel in combination with storage cupboards, drawers or sink units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Knock-down kitchen cabinets in which the side panels are assembled on a back frame and a front frame with the aid of snap fasteners or slide fasteners are well known.

THE PROBLEM This known type of cabinet eliminates the need for screws in the assembly of the side panels to the front and back frame but hitherto it has always been necessary to provide a screw fixing for the top panel constituting the working surface in order to ensure a secure mounting of the top panel on the cabinet.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet which is a complete knock-down unit in that it eliminates the necessity for any screw fixings and in that the top panel is demountable and can be assembled without the need to use any tools such as a screwdriver or spanner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a knock-down cabinet having four walls at least two of which have co-planar upper edges, a top panel located on said co-planar edges, and a forwardly extending horizontal abutment surface on one of said walls closely fitting over said top panel.

The abutment surface may be the upper internal surface of a horizontal groove formed in a back frame constituting one of said walls, the groove extending longitudinally of a horizontal upper cross member of the back frame, or alternatively the abutment surface may comprise the undersurface of a horizontally elongated lip on the back frame extending forwardly therefrom over the top panel.

The top panel and said upper edges of the walls of the cabinet on which the top panel is located are preferably provided with interengaging snap fastening members at positions spaced horizontally from said abutment surface so as to further secure the top. panel in position on the walls of the cabinet.

Perferably two of said walls are front frame and a back frame which both include top and bottom members and intermediate said top and bottom members a horizontal, intermediate member, there being further provided a plurality of rails formed at their ends with means for engaging the respective intermediate members so as to extend therebetween.

Said rails may be guide runners for a drawer or drawers inserted in the assembled cabinet below the top surface.

Said engaging means of at least one of said intermediate members preferably comprises a slot or groove in said intermediate member, and each rail preferably has a turnbutton engageable in an associated slot or groove, each intermediate member preferably has a dowel hole and each rail preferably has a dowel pin catable in an associated one of said dowel holes correctly to locate the ends of the rails for engagement of the associated slots or grooves by the turnbuttons.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be descirbed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet according to the present invention in a partly assembled condition, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 1 showing the top panel in the process of assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings, a floor standing caninet is indicated generally at 10 which comprises a back frame 11, two side panels 12 and 13 and a front frame 14 which together form the four walls of the cabinet. The front frame 14 carries hinged doors l5 and 16 and the side panels 12 and 13 are mounted on the rear face of the front frame 14 by conventional snap fasteners or sliding fasteners.

The back frame 11 comprises vertical side members 17 and 18, a lower crossmember 19, an intermediate cross-member 21 and an upper cross-member 20. The upper cross-member 20 is formed with a horizontally extending groove 23, the upper horizontal face of which forms an abutment surface 22.

In order to attach the side panels 12 and 13 and the associated front frame 14 to the back frame 11, tongues 24 and 25 on the side panels 12 and 13, respectively, are located in vertical grooves 26 and 27 in the upright members 17 and 18, respectively, and the side panels are then slid downwardlyrelative to the back frame so that fastening members 30 on the back frame 11 and on the side panels 12 and 13 (that on the panel 12 not being visible in the drawings) interengage to mount the side panels on the back frame 11.

When the side panels are attached to the back frame it will be seen that the groove 23 in the back frame is positioned above the side panels so that the bottom face of the groove is flush with the upper edge of the side panels and the abutment surface 22 is spaced above the upper edges of the side panels 12 and 13.

A top panel 31 is then slotted into the groove 23 so that it is securely retained in the groove 23 under the abutment surface 22 and rests on the bottom face of the groove 23 and the co-planar upper edges of the side panels 12 and 13 and the upper edge of the front frame 14.

The undersurface of the top panel 31 and the upper edges of the side panels 12 and 13 and the front frame 14 are provided with snap fastening element 32 which interengage when the top panel is pressed downwardly onto the side panels and the from frame securely to mount the top panel thereon.

In order to support two drawers, not shown, rail members 40 and 41 are provided as guides and supports for the drawers. Each rail member 40 and 41 extends between the intermediate cross-member 21 of the back frame 11 and the front frame 14 and is provided with projecting dowels 42 which locate and engage in mating holes 43 provided in the cross member 21 and the front frame 14 which are accurately positioned during manufacture. Accidental dislodgement of the rails 40 and 41 is prevented by a turnbutton 44 on the underside of the front end of each rail which is turned to engage in a suitably shaped and positioned groove (not shown) in the front frame 14. Similar turnbuttons can also be provided at the rear end of both rails 40 and 41 if required.

The rail members 40 and 41 are preferably assembled before the top panel and they thus locate the central area of the front and back frames to provide a rigid structure before the top panel is fitted in position.

It will be seen that the manner of attaching the top panel 31 to the remainder of the cabinet enables the cabinet to be completely assembled without the use of any screw fittings and without the use of any tool such as a screwdriver or spanner. The cabinet 10 can thus be assembled by an unskilled person with the minimum of time and difficulty and in a manner which ensures accurate positioning of the top surface on the remainder of the cabinet.

I claim:

1. A knock-down cabinet comprising: a front frame;

a back frame;

a pair of side panels;

means for each of said front frame, back frame and side panels for providing cooperative engagement between the adjacent ones thereof when assembled as the four walls of a cabinet with the upper edges of said front frame and said side panels being coplanar;

a top panel;

said back frame having a horizontally disposed groove formed on a surface thereof facing inside the cabinet, said groove being spaced slightly below the upper edge of said back frame, with the upper internal surface of said groove providing a horizontal abutment surface along substantially the entire length of said back frame for the upper surface of the rear postion of said top panel when said top panel is positioned on the co-planar upper edges of said side panels and said front frame with the rear edge of said top panel being received in said horizontally disposed groove, and with the lower internal surface of said groove being substantially co-planar with the upper edges of said assembled front frame and side panels; and

a plurality of interengaging snap fastening members disposed on the lower surface of said top panel and on the co-planar upper edges of said front frame and said side panels,

thereby providing a cabinet which may be completely assembled or disassembled without the use of any tools while ensuring the secure mounting of the top panel thereon.

2. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front frame and said back frame each have top and bottom members and a horizontal intermediate member disposed therebetween, and further comprising at least one rail disposed between the respective intermediate members of said front frame and said back frame so as to extend therebetween and having means at its ends for engaging the respective intermediate members.

3. A knock-down cabinet comprising:

a front frame;

a back frame;

a pair of side panels;

means on each of said front frame, back frame and side panels for providing cooperative engagement between the adjacent ones thereof when assembled as the four walls of a cabinet with the upper edges of said front frame and said side panels being coplanar;

a top panel;

said back frame having a horizontally disposed elongated lip formed on a surface thereof facing inside the cabinet, the lower surface of said lip providing a horizontal abutment surface along substantially the entire length of said back frame for the upper surface of the rear postion of said top panel when said top panel is positioned on the co-planar upper edges of said side panels and said front frame with the rear edge of said top panel being received below said horizontally disposed lip; and

a plurality of interengaging snap fastening members disposed on the lower surface of said top panel and on the co-planar upper edges of said front frame and said side panels;

thereby providing a cabinet which may be completely assembled or dissasembled without the use of any tools while ensuring the secure mounting of the top panel thereon.

4. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove extends longitudinally of a horizontal upper cross-member of the back frame.

5. A cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the cabinet further comprises at least one drawer for which said at least one rail is a guide runner.

6. A cabinet as claimed in claim 5 wherein said engaging means of at least one of said intermediate members comprises a slot or groove in said intermediate member, wherein each rail has a turnbutton engageable in an associated one of said slots or grooves, wherein each intermediate member has a dowel hole and each rail has a dowel pin locatable in an associated dowel hole correctly to locate the ends of the rails for engagement of the associated slots or grooves by the turnbuttons. 

1. A knock-down cabinet comprising: a front frame; a back frame; a pair of side panels; means for each of said front frame, back frame and side panels for providing cooperative engagement between the adjacent ones thereof when assembled as the four walls of a cabinet with the upper edges of said front frame and said side panels being coplanar; a top panel; said back frame having a horizontally disposed groove formed on a surface thereof facing inside the cabinet, said groove being spaced slightly below the upper edge of said back frame, with the upper internal surface of said groove providing a horizontal abutment surface along substantially the entire length of said back frame for the upper surface of the rear postion of said top panel when said top panel is positioned on the co-planar upper edges of said side panels and said front frame with the rear edge of said top panel being received in said horizontally disposed groove, and with the lower internal surface of said groove being substantially co-planar with the upper edges of said assembled front frame and side panels; and a plurality of interengaging snap fastening members disposed on the lower surface of said top panel and on the co-planar upper edges of said front frame and said side panels, thereby providing a cabinet which may be completely assembled or disassembled without the use of any tools while ensuring the secure mounting of the top panel thereon.
 2. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front frame and said back frame each have top and bottom members and a horizontal intermediate member disposed therebetween, and further comprising at least one rail disposed between the respective intermediate members of said front frame and said back frame so as to extend therebetween and having means at its ends for engaging the respective intermediate members.
 3. A knock-down cabinet comprising: a front frame; a back frame; a pair of side panels; means on each of said front frame, back frame and side panels for providing cooperative engagement between the adjacent ones thereof when assembled as the four walls of a cabinet with the upper edges of said front frame and said side panels being co-planar; a top panel; said back frame having a horizontally disposed elongated lip formed on a surface thereof facing inside the cabinet, the lower surface of said lip providing a horizontal abutment surface along substantially the entire length of said back frame for the upper surface of the rear postion of said top panel when said top panel is positioned on the co-planar upper edges of said side panels and said front frame with the rear edge of said top panel being received below said horizontally disposed lip; and a plurality of interengaging snap fastening members disposed on the lower surface of said top panel and on the co-planar upper edges of said front frame and said side panels; thereby providing a cabinet which may be completely assembled or dissasembled without the use of any tools while ensuring the secure mounting of the top panel thereon.
 4. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove extends longitudinally of a horizontal upper cross-member of the back frame.
 5. A cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the cabinet further comprises at least one drawer for which said at least one rail is a guide runner.
 6. A cabinet as claimed in claim 5 wherein said engaging means of at least one of said intermediate members comprises a slot or groove in said intermediate member, wherein each rail has a turnbutton engageable in an associated one of said slots or grooves, wherein each intermediate member has a dowel hole and each rail has a dowel pin locatable in an associated dowel hole correctly to locate the ends of the rails for engagement of the associated slots or grooves by the turnbuttons. 